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L. T. DAVIS LING APPARATUS FOR PORTS OF MEDICAL GAS CYLINDER VALVESFlled Oct 24. 1960 INVENTOR. A y/m 7T flay/5 BY gay/KM 4170 SANITARY SEAMarch 17, 1964 United States Patent 3,125,242 SANITARY SEALING APPARATUSFOR PGRTS OF MEDICAL GAS CYLINDER VALVES Lynn T. Davis, Kansas City,Mo., assignor to Puritan Compressed Gas Corporation, Kansas City, Mo., acorporation of Missouri Filed Oct. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 64,544 7 Claims.(Cl. 220-85) The present invention relates to sanitary sealing apparatusfor the outlet orifice or ports of medical gas cylinder valves.

With cylinders of medical gas, it is essential that the outlet orificeof the cylinder valve and a washer used in conjunction with the orificewhen coupling a patient application line to the valve, be maintainedentirely free from foreign matter or contamination by excessive handlingor exposure to the atmosphere. Such protection is particularly necessaryduring the shipment of the cylinders because of the handling required,and a conventional way of overcoming the above problem, particularlyduring shipment, has been to cover the orifice with plastic tape or thelike, and to package the washer in an envelope taped to the cylinderwith the same tape. Such a method involves certain inherentdisadvantages from the sanitary point of view, and also from thestandpoint of assuring against loss of the washer or minimum handling ofthe same in connecting a patient application line to the orifice.

It is, therefore, the most important object of the present invention toprovide structure for sanitarily closing and sealing the gas outletorifice of a cylinder valve wherein the orifice is protected againsthandling and exposure to the atmosphere, and wherein the device forprotecting the orifice also provides a container for the washer shippedwith the cylinder, which container entirely protects the washer againsthandling or exposure so that the orifice and washer are as completelyfree from contamination as it is possible to make them, thereby insuringthe sanitary administration of gas to the patient.

It is another object of the present invention to provide structure ofthe character described above, wherein the means for sealing and closingthe orifice are resilient and flexible, and of a cross-sectionaldimension smaller than the dimension of the valve so that the closingand sealing means must be stretched over the valve structure and theinherent resiliency of the closing and sealing means holds the structurein closing and sealing relationship to the valve orifice.

It is another object of the present invention to provide structure ofthe character above described wherein the closing and sealing meansinclude a flexible, resilient band provided with a zone of weakness anda tear strip whereby, when it is desired to remove the closing andsealing means from the valve and orifice, the manual application of atearing force to the strip, will tear the same through the zone ofweakness so that the structure may be easily removed.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide structure ofthe character above described, wherein the closing and sealing means areprovided with an in- Wardly extending protuberance complemental to theorifice in shape, which protuberance also is insertable into the orificeto maintain the closing and sealing structure in alignment therewith.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a tool for theeasy sanitary application of structure of the character above described,to the valve, wherein the tool is provided with a frusto-conical sectionfor slidably receiving the closing and sealing structure, and whereinthe tool is further provided with a valve-encircling portion so that theclosing and sealing structure may be slid onto the frusto-conicalportion of the tool after the tool has been nested upon the valvestructure, and the closing and sealing structure expanded during slidingmovement along the tool, the closing and sealing structure sliding offthe opposite end of the tool and onto the valve with the inherentresiliency of the closing and sealing structure contracting the sameinto a tight, friction sealing engagement with the valve and orifice.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide closing andsealing structure of the character above described, wherein thestructure is provided with a component including a circular plate havinga transverselyextending, peripheral flange, and a protuberance disposedcentrally of the plate and extending therefrom in the same direction asthe flange so that a recess is formed in the component around theprotuberance for containing the sealing washer to be shipped with thecylinder, and so that the washer is enclosed between the component andthe valve structure when the closing and sealing means are in place onthe valve, thereby insuring against the washer being exposed to handlingor to atmosphere.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide structureof the character above described, wherein after the closing and sealingmeans are removed from the valve structure, the washer may be slid offof the protuberance and onto the patient application line to be coupledwith the orifice without human handling of the Washer.

Further objects and advantages may appear as this specification proceedsand various modifications and changes may be made to the structure ofthe present invention without departing from the spirit thereof. Suchfurther objects and modifications and changes are intended to be coveredby the scope of the appended claims.

Reference is now made to the drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the closing and sealingstructure and tool embodying the present invention, with the gascylinder application valve shown in dotted line to disclose therelationship of the tool and closing and sealing means to the valvestructure;

FIG. 2 is a vertical, cross-sectional view through the closing andsealing structure of the present invention in position upon valvestructure shown by dotted line;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the closing and sealing structure of thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a transverse, cross-sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG.2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of the seal containing recess takeninternally of the closing and sealing structure shown in FIG. 3, andshowing the seal in place in the recess.

A medical gas cylinder valve 10 is shown in FIG. 1 threadably engagedwith the top of a gas cylinder 12. Shown in place upon the body of valve10 is a sanitary sealing apparatus 14 which has just been placed inposition by the use of a tool 16, shown above the valve 10 to inidcateits relation thereto.

Sealing apparatus '14 consists of a sealing component 18 and a band 20.Component 18 includes a circular plate 22 having a peripheral flange 24extending transversely therefrom and terminating in a valve-engaging lip26. Disposed centrally of plate 221 is a generally cylindricalprotuberance 28 which is axailly aligned with the axis of plate 22 andextends inwardly from the plate relative to the apparatus 14 andterminates in a bias cut innermost face 38. Band 20 is joined at ends 32and 34 to diametrically opposite sides of lip 26.

Band 20 is further provided with a zone of weakness indicated generallyby the numeral 36, which includes a pair of spaced, parallel, transverselines of perforations 38 and 40, extending across the width of band 20in portions 42 and 44 of band 20 which are of reduced thickness ascompared with the remainder of band 20. A tear strip 46 is providedbetween the lines of perforations 38 and 40 which is integral with theremainder of band 20, and tear strip 46 is provided with a tab 48provided with a plurality of treads 50, the tab 48 and treads 56 beingprovided for the purpose of providing means for easily applying anoutside tearing force to strip 46.

The construction of component 18 already described, is such that thearea defined by flange 24, plate 22, protuberance 28 and lip 26, is arecess 52 provided for the purpose of containing a washer "54 incircumscribing relationship to the protuberance 28.

It is to be noted at this point, that the band 20 and component 18 inhorizontal cross-section, are generally square, as is the valve 10, andthe area of the oros=s-sec tional dimension of the closing and sealingstructure 14 is less than the cross-sectional dimensional area of thevalve 110.

The present invention contemplates that the band 20 and component 18,will be an integral unit constructed of polyethylene material, or anyother comparable material having similar characteristics of flexibilityand inherent resiliency. Since the apparatus 14 is smaller than thevalve body 10, in order to avoid unnecessary human handling of thestructure 14 to emplace it properly upon the valve 10, a tool 16 isprovided.

Tool 16 includes a hollow body 56 open at end 58. End 60, remote fromend 8, is of a. cross-sectional dimension smaller than the unit 14 sothat the unit 14 may be slidably received upon the tool 16at end 60.

Tool 16 has a first frusto-conical portion 66 which extends from end 60to a line lying in an imaginary plane perpendicularly transverse to tool16, and a second portion 68 extending from the same imaginary plane toend 58 and which portion is generally square in transversecross-section. Portion 68 is bifurcated by a slot 70 extending axiallyinto tool 16 from end 58.

When it is desired to place the apparatus 14 upon the valve 10, theapparatus is first slidably emplaced around first portion 66 of tool 16,and the protuberance 28 is engaged with portion 66 with inclined face 30of protuberance 28 against the inclined surface or portion 66 with whichit is complemental. The tool 16 is then nested upon valve with thesecond portion 68 over the square cross-section part of valve 10. Secondportion 68 may expand sufiiciently to nest over the valve 10, since itis provided with the slot 70 bifurcating second portion 68. Theapparatus 14 is then slida-bly shifted along the tool 16 and the inclineof portion 66 operates upon the surface 30 of protuberance 28 to cam theprotuberance 28 outwardly relative to the tool 16, and thereby expandthe flexible resilient band 20.

Apparatus 14 is shifted along the tool 16 until it slides off of end 58of tool '16 and snaps into engagement with valve 10, as a result of theinherent resiliency of the apparatus 14. It will be noted withparticular reference to FIG. 2, that protuberance 28 is complemental toorifice 72 and is received therein when the apparatus 14 snaps intoplace to maintain the structure '14 properly aligned with the valve 10and, therefore, in proper closing and sealing relationship to theorifice 72. Further, a sealing Washer 54 which must be transported withthe cylinder, has been placed in the recess 52 prior to the engagementof apparatus 14 with tool 16 so that when the apparatus 14 snaps intoposition, the washer 54 is confined between the valve .10 and theprotuberance 28, plate Zll, flange 24 and lip 26, thereby protectingwasher 54 from handling or exposure to atmosphere.

When it is desired to remove the apparatus 14 from the valve 18 at thetime that the cylinder is to be used for purposes of supplying medicalgas to a patient, it is a simple matter to grasp the tab 48 by hand orwith a tool, and to pull the tab 48 downwardly and outwardly as viewedin FIGS. 2 and 3, tearing the band 20 in the zone of weakness 36. Thetab -48 is provided with treads 50 to insure a positive grip upon thetab 48. The zone of weakness 36, which includes the lines ofperforations 38 46, is so constructed that the tearing will take placeacross the areas between the perforations on the line upon which thepenforations lie, and the entire tear strip 46 and tab it; will,therefore, be removed from connection with the remainder of band 20.

The remaining portion of apparatus 14 may be easily removed from valve10, and the patient application line connected with orifice 72. Thepatient application line (not shown) is customarily provided with aportion insertable into the orifice 72, and it is manifest from thedrawing, that it is a simple matter to place such portion in end-to-endabut-ting relationship with the protuberance 28 and simply let thesealing washer 54 slide downwardly off the protuberance 28 and onto thesaid portion of the patient administration line without contaminationdue to handling of the washer. The line may then be engaged in orifice72 and the gas can pass through the orifice 72 and contact the washerwithout picking up germs or contamination from the washer or theorifice, since the same has been sanitarily protected at all timesduring shipment and handling.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a gas supply assembly including a gas cylinder provided with avalve body thereon having an outlet orifice in the same, the combinationwith said valve body of a sanitary sealing unit provided with aflexible, resilient, endless band frictionally surrounding the valvebody in complemental, overlying, covering relationship to said orifice,and a locking component on the band and extending into the orifice indisposition requiring severance of the band before removal of thecomponent from the orifice whereby re-use of the sealing unit isprecluded.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said orifice is generallycylindrical and said component is of cylindrical configuration to becomplementally received in said orifice.

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said component is ofgenerally cylindrical configuration and is provided with a face remotefrom the zone of connection of the component to the band, said bandbeing at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of thecomponent.

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said band is providedwith a generally cup-shaped portion in overlying relationship to saidorifice, said cup-shaped portion being provided with a circular platesegment remote from the valve body and carrying the component thereon,and a cylindrical flange integral with the periphery of the plate andextending toward the valve body, said cup shaped portion defining anannular cavity around the component for receiving a washer used with thevalve body.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said band is providedwith at least one transverse line of weakness therein facilitatingseverance of the band for removal of the sealing unit from the valvebody.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein is provided a pair ofsaid lines of weakness extending transversely of the band and defining apull tab therebetween, 5 said pull tab being of greater lengthtransversely of the band than the adjacent width of said band.

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said band than theadjacent width of said band. rations disposed transversely of the bandand defining a 10 line of weakness.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSPerkins Apr. 18, Brause June 11, Terrill Sept. 10, Tobiasson Jan. 18,Greenwood Jan. 12, Martin Mar. 2, Lockwood Feb. 19, Goll May 12,

FOREIGN PATENTS Italy Sept. 23,

1. IN A GAS SUPPLY ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A GAS CYLINDER PROVIDED WITH AVALVE BODY THEREON HAVING AN OUTLET ORIFICE IN THE SAME, THE COMBINATIONWITH SAID VALVE BODY OF A SANITARY SEALING UNIT PROVIDED WITH AFLEXIBLE, RESILIENT, ENDLESS BAND FRICTIONALLY SURROUNDING THE VALVEBODY IN COMPLEMENTAL, OVERLYING, COVERING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID ORIFICE,AND A LOCKING COMPONENT ON THE BAND AND EXTENDING INTO THE ORIFICE INDISPOSITION REQUIRING SEVERANCE OF THE BAND BEFORE REMOVAL OF THECOMPONENT FROM THE ORIFICE WHEREBY RE-USE OF THE SEALING UNIT ISPRECLUDED.